


The Secret Ingredient For Foodies Who Can't Cook (It's Love)

by celine (kaihun)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Aftercare, Barebacking, Birthday Sex, Bottom Oh Sehun, Cock Worship, Cooking, Curtain Fic, Dating, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Food, Friends to Lovers, Jongin turns 30, Kitchen Sex, Living Together, M/M, Mentioned past kaistal, Nostalgic Trips, Oh Sehun-centric, Oral Fixation, Panties, Romance, Smut, Spanking, Top Kim Jongin | Kai, Top/Bottom Versatile Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-09
Updated: 2020-08-09
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:35:06
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,865
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25385386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kaihun/pseuds/celine
Summary: Sehun has a brilliant idea for Jongin's birthday: He'll make dinner following Jongin's mom's own recipe. The critical flaw: He can't cook.
Relationships: Kim Jongin | Kai/Oh Sehun
Comments: 33
Kudos: 205
Collections: Cuddle & Snuggle Round 1





	The Secret Ingredient For Foodies Who Can't Cook (It's Love)

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Cuddle & Snuggle Fest Round 1, prompt #CS010 - thank you prompter & the wonderful mods!
> 
> i originally planned to make this rated T so the fic is mostly fluff & heavy on the romance, but then the kitchen scene just wrote itself… *sweats profusely* like brain, plz.
> 
> PLEASE HEED ALL THE TAGS before proceeding!
> 
> [08/09/20] i have re-edited this fic (reworded a few sentences, added some details, corrected typos, etc) as it wasn't proofread before the original posting. so if you read an earlier version, please consider reading the finalized version which i'm much happier with :)

♡

Sehun let out a long, drawn-out moan so indecent it turned more than a few curious heads in the restaurant where he was eating lunch with his trusted foodie buddy, Junmyeon. 

“Sehun!” Junmyeon hissed, tone harsh. “You’re in public. And those fries are not _that_ good.”

“Oh, but they are _that_ good,” Sehun assured him while he crammed another handful of perfectly fried, deliciously Cajun-seasoned curly fries into his mouth. “You’re just mad you didn’t order this manna from heaven for yourself.” 

It was Restaurant Week and Sehun was living his best life. He had decided on the house special burger and curly fries - admittedly too basic for his usual order, as he tended to gravitate toward the most unique dish on the menu. But what could he say? He was craving greasy American comfort food, and this place was known for their gourmet burgers and fries. If it wasn’t for the discounted event menu, he probably wouldn’t have gone out of his way for their famous but unnecessarily expensive burgers.

Junmyeon scoffed, but Sehun simply could not take him seriously when the man had willingly opted for a Caesar salad. Sehun doubted Junmyeon’s sanity, and also considered revoking the trusted foodie buddy status he had graciously bestowed upon him. (Actually, Junmyeon was the one who had invited Sehun out and offered to treat him to lunch, but Sehun kept this detail to himself.)

“No, I’m good,” Junmyeon said, laughing while shaking his head. He stabbed his fork into his salad and took another bite. “Their salad is delicious, though. I love the dressing.” Was he joking? He had to be joking. Sehun was worried that he might possibly be serious. “Anyway, what happened to cutting your carbs?”

“I never made such a promise,” Sehun sputtered indignantly. “That was all you.” Junmyeon was a certified gymrat, and had gradually been luring Sehun into the gym through peer pressure for the past several weeks. Desperately needing Junmyeon to stop nagging him, Sehun had finally gone to the gym last month to do some light weightlifting. And honestly? It wasn’t so bad. Sehun kind of liked the dull ache of his muscles after, and it had this side effect of making him surprisingly… let Sehun put it this way - eager for another kind of exercise with his partner, Jongin.

“Ew. Why are you smiling like that?” Junmyeon asked, perturbed. “No, don’t tell me. Please spare me the regret.”

Sehun laughed - he rather enjoyed the traumatized look on Junmyeon’s face whenever he chose to overshare a detail or two about his sex life, but this was not the time, not when there were more serious matters to discuss. It was almost Jongin’s birthday, and Sehun was rounding up all his friends to bounce off his ideas.

“I was thinking of what to get Jongin for his birthday.” 

Junmyeon nodded. “Don’t you usually splurge and get him some designer clothes?”

“That was the old, typical, predictable Sehun. The new Sehun is about to spice things up,” he hinted with a glint in his eye.

“Is this rated PG?” Junmyeon looked at him warily. “Say yes.”

“Yes, Junmyeon. Jeez, my mind isn’t always in the gutter. What do you think of me?” Sehun chastised. “I’m literally going to spice things up,” Sehun repeated, willing him to get it.

“No,” Junmyeon gasped in his overly dramatic way that annoyed Sehun. “You’re going to _cook_ for him?”

“Why are you acting like I’ve never cooked in my life? I’ve cooked before.” Sehun was offended, truly.

“Instant ramen doesn't count,” Junmyeon pointed out.

“Hey! I admit I’m no Chefsuke, but I can at least cook breakfast foods. Scramble eggs, the like.” Chefsuke was Sehun’s chef friend, who he met last year at an annual food festival. Technically, he was Sehun’s actual food buddy by profession, but he was out of town for restaurant week.

“Sehun, you do remember when you set off the fire alarm attempting to bake chicken when we were roommates and we had to wait in the cold until the firefighters cleared the building, right?” Junmyeon carefully reminded him.

“Shh.” Sehun placed a finger against his lips. “We speak not of That Incident of 2017. Besides, I’ve learned from the past. I’m not going to overstep my culinary skills. I’ll find something simple and follow the Youtube tutorial step by step. What's the worst that could happen?”

“Don't jinx it.” Junmyeon warned him. "Have a backup plan just in case."

Sehun stuck out his tongue, determined to prove that he didn't need one.

♡

“So how was your lunch? Where did you end up going?” Jongin asked Sehun later that night, with his head resting on Sehun’s lap as they lounged together on their couch. Sehun carded his fingers through Jongin’s hair, and whenever they grazed the nape of his neck, Jongin shivered.

“Oh, Junmyeon and I decided to try out that new burger place that opened up a few months ago, you know the one that always has a line down the block and you kept asking me what the heck all the hype was about?” 

“I’m surprised you went there. I thought you were going to eat at that Japanese-French fusion place, the one you showed me on IG the other day? Seems more exciting.”

“I know, right?” Sehun smiled at how his partner knew him so well. “I _was_ going to go there, but last minute I decided I was craving a greasy burger and fries. And let me tell you, it was orgasmic,” Sehun moaned again, having remembered the taste. “We can go to the fusion restaurant together when you’re free. There’s still like five days left of restaurant week.”

“Okay. Maybe Friday, if I can get out of work on time?” Jongin groaned and sat up as he rubbed at his stomach. “All this food talk is making me so hungry. Since you already went out to eat, let’s order delivery tonight.” Jongin rifled through the unwieldy stack of take-out menus on the coffee table that he and Sehun had accumulated over the past year they had moved in together.

Neither he nor Sehun knew their way around a kitchen, which explained why all the fancy culinary electronics they had received as housewarming gifts were more decorative than useful sitting there on their kitchen countertops. But between the two of them, Jongin would technically be considered the better “cook”, though that wasn't saying much. Needless to say, Sehun and Jongin frequently ordered takeout for their dinners - so frequently that most of the restaurants within the one-and-a-half mile delivery radius knew their orders by heart. If that wasn’t embarrassing, Sehun didn’t know what was.

“Do you mind if we get fried chicken?” Jongin asked hopefully.

“No, chicken’s great. What do you want, Kyochon? Bonchon? Goobne?” Truthfully, he was still full from lunch and they had already ordered chicken earlier this week, but Sehun knew Jongin always craved fried chicken after a particularly stressful day of work, and with how hard he worked on a regular day? God knows the man deserved to indulge in a guilty pleasure or two. Chicken was easily Jongin’s favorite kind of meat, and his favorite dish in the world had to be the _dakdoritang_ that Jongin’s mom made. Whenever they visited Jongin’s parent’s house, they always came back with at least five tupperware containers full of chicken, assorted veggies, and side dishes, and it would last them for several days. Sehun suspected that Mrs. Kim was worried that they both didn’t eat enough “real food”, given their lack of cooking skills. She was right.

Jongin ended up picking Goobne, since it was the only one out of the list they had not ordered from yet this month. He and Sehun both sat with their legs stretched out on the rug in front of their TV as they shamelessly pigged out on the fifty piece soy garlic chicken box they ordered. Jongin preferred drumsticks while Sehun loved wings, so the mixed chicken box always worked out perfectly for them.

Jongin caught Sehun smiling at him, and he grinned back, too. He threw another bone onto the growing pile they had between them. “It’s good, right?”

As much as Sehun’s foodie soul found unique satisfaction in trying exciting dishes at new restaurants to surprise his rather high-class taste buds, there was nothing like enjoying a meal with the one he loved in the comfort of their own home. Here, they could eat as messily as they wanted, not having to care about eating with their mouths open, or chewing too loudly, or accidentally causing a scene by dropping their utensils on the floor. They might have ordered fried chicken over fifty times since they moved in together, but for Sehun, watching Jongin happily devour his meal with some sesame seeds stuck to his dimpled cheek never got old. It was the secret ingredient that made food taste infinitely better.

“Yeah,” Sehun agreed. “It really is.”

♡

Jongin’s birthday was fast approaching, and Sehun came up with a brilliant plan for Jongin’s surprise birthday present - he wouldn’t just pick some random Youtube recipe to follow. No, he would cook (or at least attempt to cook) a dish much more meaningful - Mrs. Kim’s famous dakdoritang.

It was pretty ambitious, Sehun admitted. Like Junmyeon had said before, Sehun’s presents for Jongin were typically products from a luxury brand. It was not entirely a selfless gift: Sehun derived a lot of pleasure in dressing Jongin; with his trim torso and long legs, Jongin had what Sehun considered to be perfect body proportions. He loved Jongin in a tailored three-piece suit for special occasions, but the casual fitted jeans and plain white shirt combo was just as sexy. To be honest, Jongin could wear anything (or nothing) and look ridiculously hot. It really wasn’t fair. For other people, that was. Sehun had the luxury of having Jongin all to himself.

For tradition’s sake, Sehun bought him a new pair of Gucci sunglasses, anyway; it was also because Jongin needed a new pair after he had lost the one Sehun got him for Christmas two years ago. Sehun was actually impressed that Jongin hadn’t lost it earlier - it had to mean Jongin was trying hard to keep track of it. Sehun planned to give the glasses as the dummy gift that Jongin was surely expecting from him, and then he would surprise him with the home-cooked meal right after. Jongin wouldn’t see it coming.

But Sehun could not help but agonize over how Jongin might react to his cooking. More than anyone, Sehun knew he wasn’t exactly the best cook. Simple dishes like scrambled eggs he could manage, but most of the time they were always eating out, ordering delivery, or eating casseroles from their friends and family. With all the bravado he showed Junmyeon, Sehun was terribly worried that he had nothing to show for it, especially when so much (Jongin’s happiness!) was riding on his success. After his twenty-fifth birthday, Jongin had claimed to not care all that much about celebrating his subsequent birthdays, but Sehun knew he secretly loved the extra attention - despite the getting older part. Well, it might've also been that he loved how much _Sehun_ got into Jongin’s birthday preparations when it wasn’t even his own birthday. They were both turning thirty this year - a big milestone. 

Yesterday, Sehun had asked Jongin’s mom about recreating the spicy chicken dish as Jongin’s present, and she had showered him with her excitement and encouragement, immediately texting him a list of ingredients. To ensure Sehun’s success, she even invited him to come over whenever he was free so they could practice cooking it before Jongin’s birthday. Sehun was ready to bawl over the phone because Jongin’s mom had always treated Sehun like her own son since the two of them had met in high school, and even after all these years, she still made him feel so loved.

Sehun went to the supermarket and bought all the ingredients before he headed over to Jongin’s parents’ house. Having taken his time in each aisle, Sehun made sure to meticulously read each container before throwing it into his cart; he didn’t want to accidentally buy a completely different product, which may or may not have happened to him numerous before. Who knew there were at least twenty kinds of rice wine alone? Not much actual cooking went on at home, so he and Jongin kept it simple in terms of sauces and other condiments - mainly just Sriracha, soy sauce, and gochujang.

After he tackled the shopping list, Sehun drove over to Mrs. Kim’s for the cooking tutorial she so graciously offered him. He had been there hundreds of times over the years, but it was always to see Jongin when they were in high school, and after Jongin first moved out, he would occasionally tag along when Jongin went to visit his parents. Since he and Jongin officially started dating, this might very well be the first time he had ever visited alone. He was nervous as he pulled into the driveway.

But as soon as Mrs. Kim welcomed him in with open arms, fussing over him for having to carry so many bags by himself, Sehun knew he didn’t have to be. And the way she gave him instructions only someone painfully familiar with the layout of their home, particularly their kitchen, would understand, made Sehun realize that in more ways than one, this was his home, too. A big portion of his life was spent growing up in these walls, and Sehun could physically feel all the memories preserved within them. He imagined seeing the younger version of himself - sixteen-year-old Sehun, running through the hallway, lazily lounging on the couch, scouring through the fridge at one in the morning during one of an endless number of sleepovers - and it reminded him of the thoughts and feelings he had to navigate during those complex teenage years. He remembered how afraid and confused he was about what he felt for Jongin - how many more years into adulthood it took for him to accept the simple truth: he loved Jongin, in all senses of the word, and he wanted to spend the rest of his life by Jongin’s side. He wanted Jongin to love him like this, too.

Mrs. Kim must have sensed Sehun’s nostalgic trip, because she paused next to Sehun as he stared off into the living room, and she gently patted his arm, a comforting gesture.

The next few hours were spent learning the Secret Kim Family Recipe, and each step of the process was committed to Sehun’s memory. He messed up more times than he could count, but Mrs. Kim was always so encouraging and understanding, so Sehun never felt like giving up. When it was time to taste test the final product, Sehun was exhausted, and smelling what they were cooking for so long made him lose his appetite, too.

“It’s good!” Mrs. Kim exclaimed after she took the first bite. “Now you’re ready to cook this for Jongin!” Mrs. Kim said. “I’m sure he will love it.”

“Wha- really?” Sehun took a bite himself, and he was more than surprised that it basically tasted like he remembered. Did he really just cook this? But the bigger question was would he be able to cook this _again_ for Jongin’s birthday?

Speaking of Jongin, Sehun looked at the time and knew he had to head back before Jongin got home. He got started on clean-up and did all the dishes, even though Mrs. Kim insisted he didn’t have to. Sehun couldn’t bring the food home with him, as it would spoil the surprise, but it wouldn’t go to waste - Mrs. Kim planned to eat the rest of it with Mr. Kim, who was currently napping upstairs, for dinner. She told him Jongin’s dad would be proud of Sehun’s cooking skills, and Sehun got embarrassed.

“Please give Mr. Kim my regards. I hope he likes the food,” Sehun said. “And Mrs. Kim, thank you so much for helping me learn how to cook Jongin’s favorite meal,” Sehun thanked her again for what might have been the millionth time.

“Sehun, I already told you, you don’t have to thank me. You know that when it comes to you and Jongin, if there’s something I can do to help, I will help any way that I can. Just call me if you need anything, okay?”

Mrs. Kim really was like a second mom to him, and Sehun definitely had a tear in his eye as he waved her goodbye. 

When Sehun got home, Jongin wasn’t back from work yet. He went to take a shower so that Jongin couldn’t smell what he’d been up to - it really felt like he was hiding some big secret, which was exciting. He was so absorbed in his thoughts that he didn’t hear when Jongin got home and entered the master bathroom, and perhaps he screamed like a banshee when Jongin slid the shower door open, scaring the living daylights out of him. But that led to really good shower sex, so Sehun couldn’t stay mad.

After that they took a real shower to actually get clean this time, and Sehun enjoyed the view as he lathered up Jongin’s back. He took his sweet time massaging his shoulder blades and running his palms across the new muscles Jongin had been getting lately. As a businessman, Jongin was primarily at his desk, but he worked out regularly to avoid becoming sedentary. One would think that Sehun would take up the gym himself, but he much preferred doing crunches (when encouraged to by Jongin) in the comfort of their own home. At least then he could be motivated by getting to kiss Jongin after each painstaking sit-up. That sort of PDA would likely not be appreciated at the gym.

“Wanna go out to eat tonight?” Sehun asked as he stood by the sink and gently towel-dried his hair. It was only six in the evening, so the night was young.

“Sure. Why don’t we go to that Japanese-French place? We showered so we might as well get ready for a fancy night out.”

Sehun grinned. It wasn’t often that Jongin wanted to play dress-up when they went out to eat, but he was surely rubbing off on him.

“Sounds perfect.”

♡

There was something incredibly romantic about an unplanned date night in the middle of the week, Sehun thought as he walked side-by-side with Jongin the couple of blocks it took to get to the restaurant. They had been together long enough that even their strides were in sync, and this thought amused him as they waited for the light to turn red to cross the street.

Dressed in a black suit and a black silk shirt with his hair done up in a perfect coif, Jongin was looking like the epitome of tall, dark, and handsome. Even Sehun had difficulty trying not swoon and trip over himself - and he was lucky enough to see his partner every _day_. That imparted no immunity to Jongin’s level of handsomeness, so Sehun totally understood the looks Jongin was getting from the starstruck strangers they passed by. 

It was no secret that Jongin had a lot of admirers including at his workplace, but Sehun never felt threatened by that fact because he trusted Jongin completely. Likewise, Jongin trusted him, so Sehun always felt free to be himself. Sure, Jongin had his possessive side, but it only ever manifested from wanting to protect him from the world. He tended to worry how people might be taking advantage of “how nice Sehun was all the time” - a quality he never once belittled, just admired and cherished. 

When they arrived at the restaurant, the waitress asked if they wanted indoor or outdoor seating in the backyard where they had infrared heaters, and Jongin turned to him, silently asking if he had a preference. Sehun shrugged, not really caring either way, so Jongin responded for the both of them.

“Indoor. A table by the windows, please, if one’s available.”

“Sure! Right this way.”

Jongin pulled out a chair for him - the one facing the windows, and Sehun pursed his lips to hide his amusement as he sat down. Jongin knew he would prefer this seat without him having to say anything, and he was unabashedly playing up the chivalry tonight. Not that Sehun had any complaints about that, as he loved being the center of Jongin’s affection.

They took their time to savor their meal, which was absolutely delicious and worth the money. It wasn’t often that they ate fancy, upscale food, so it was a real treat for them both. Of course Jongin ordered filet mignon, the carnivore that he was, and he kept cutting up slices and feeding them to Sehun from across the table when no one was looking. They weren’t really sure, but that probably wasn’t proper etiquette at a fancy establishment.

For dessert, Sehun ordered a mousse au chocolat garnished with matcha powder for the two of them to share, and it was quite possibly the best thing he had _ever_ put into his mouth, Jongin included. He told him so, and Jongin had only snorted, telling him that that wasn’t appropriate to say in public. The chocolate was perfectly bittersweet, and the mousse was so smooth that it practically melted in his mouth. He cheekily pretended to hog the dessert so Jongin couldn’t get any, but when he saw Jongin’s sad little pout, he caved and scooped out a spoonful to feed it to his lover in apology. Then Sehun licked the teaspoon clean to savor whatever Jongin missed, and maybe to elicit that dark, heady look Jongin was giving him as he watched, too.

They held hands the whole walk home, their fingers feeling cold because they had both forgotten to bring their gloves. Sehun was feeling giddy and a little drunk, though he had only ordered a glass of red wine with dinner, much less than he usually drank. Sensing Sehun’s carefree, happy energy, Jongin kept looking over his shoulder to catch Sehun’s gaze, and he returned every smile Sehun gave him.

After they got back home, washed up, and changed into their pajamas, neither of them felt like going to sleep right away. A movie night to end their date night sounded like just the thing. They hauled a blanket over to the sofa in the living room, and Jongin scrolled through their shared list on Netflix to pick out the latest horror release he hadn’t watched yet. Sehun wasn’t really into horror himself, not the way Jongin was, but he was willing to watch it as long as Jongin was with him. Whenever they watched scary movies, Jongin had a habit of laughing at every other scene, even if it was clearly supposed to be scaring the shit out of them, while Sehun cowered in fear and clutched at Jongin’s arm. If Jongin got scared, too, it was over for Sehun - he’d give up and leave the room, and then ask Jongin to spoil the ending for him later.

The movie was more of a slow burn psychological thriller, and they both accidentally fell asleep cuddled together on the sofa. Probably should’ve ordered that after dinner espresso at the restaurant, Sehun thought. He had woken up confused in the middle of the night, momentarily not knowing where he was in the darkness as their TV had automatically shut off. But Jongin's presence in his arms, his familiar scent and body heat quickly reoriented Sehun - he was home. Not wanting to disturb Jongin's slumber and also too lazy to get up and move to their bedroom himself, Sehun snuggled into a more comfortable position and used Jongin’s arm as a pillow. At least as comfortable as two full-grown men squished together on a couch could hope to be. Sehun gazed at Jongin as he slept and couldn’t resist kissing him on the cute bump on the bridge of his nose, but Jongin didn’t stir. His eyes closed not long after, lulled back into sleep by the steady, comforting sound of Jongin’s breathing.

♡  
  


Later that week, on the morning of January fourteenth, Sehun blearily blinked his eyes open to the view of Jongin already up bright and early, walking around their bedroom as he got ready for work. Jongin had refused to take the day off, stating he had a deadline coming up. It would bother him more if he didn’t put the work in, which was typical Jongin. He was such a Capricorn sometimes. When he noticed Sehun was awake, Jongin walked over and kissed his forehead, and Sehun smiled up at him with his eyes closed, feeling content.

“Happy birthday,” Sehun said, voice still raspy with sleep.

“Thanks, baby,” Jongin replied, his smile warm. “Sorry for waking you up early. Tried to be quiet, I wanted you to sleep in.”

Though he was still half-asleep, Sehun managed to scoff at that while he made the effort to sit up onto his elbows. “It’s _your_ birthday. You should be sleeping in with me.” He pushed the down comforter away from his torso and patted the spot next to him, an attempt to convince his lover to get back into their warm bed.

Chuckling, Jongin shook his head. “As convincing as your offer is right now, I really can’t, Sehun.”

Sehun pouted and pulled the comforter back around himself in a huff. He watched as Jongin finished buttoning one of his cuffs, then sat down on the edge of the bed next to him. He focused on the feeling of Jongin’s fingers curling into his hair. “Can I at least give you a kiss?” Sehun asked hopefully.

“Of course.” Jongin leaned in and Sehun sat up to meet him halfway, one hand loosely circled around the wrist with which Jongin was keeping himself up.

Sehun poured everything he could into their soft, languid kiss, and for a second it seemed like it worked when Jongin pulled back, looking a little dazed and kiss-drunk. But then he shook his head again as if to clear it, and lifted his hand to rub at Sehun’s bottom lip with his thumb.

“Here’s the deal. I’ll take a half-day and finish up by three so I can come home early. Sounds good?”

“Yes!” Sehun’s powers of seduction did work, at least partially, though he also realized this gave him even less time to prepare Jongin’s birthday meal. “ _Very_ good.”

Jongin caressed his cheek, then got up to smooth out the few wrinkles on his dress slacks from sitting. “I’ll text you before I leave work, okay?” He said, as if reading Sehun’s worried thoughts.

“Mhm.” Sehun blew him a kiss. “Have fun at work, birthday boy.”

“I’ll have more fun when I’m back here with you,” Jongin said with a wink, then closed their bedroom door with a soft click.

Sehun flopped back down onto the bed, stretched out all his limbs and released his muscles with a satisfied sigh.

It was time to start Jongin’s birthday preparations.

In order to give himself enough time, Sehun used one of his PTO days to get today off. Now that he was living together with Jongin, there were some things he had to adjust to, like how he couldn’t exactly prepare anything the night before and leave it in the fridge, because they saw each other every night. And even if he had made it earlier and hid it in the fridge, Jongin would’ve found it because whenever he got bored, he randomly searched the fridge for unexpected snacks. Christmas was an interesting ordeal, because Sehun had to actively rotate his hiding place for Jongin’s gift. But it was part of the fun of having a shared living space, and Sehun found there were way more pros than cons. The cons were really only about their house chores.

First, Sehun made the bed. It wasn’t something he usually did, but he knew Jongin would appreciate the gesture on his special day. Then he showered and got dressed, picking an outfit Jongin had complimented before.

Next he drove to the grocery store to get more of the fresh ingredients he needed; he already had most of the sauces and other condiments from the practice run, which he had taken home at Mrs. Kim’s insistence. Most of it was safely hidden in the back of the pantry behind other stuff they never used, so he doubted Jongin would have thought anything of it even if he had accidentally seen it. 

Then he went to their favorite bakery to pick up a chocolate cake, which Sehun got customized to say _Happy birthday, Jongin_ followed by a red heart. Finally, he made a few more stops to the florist and drugstore, where he purchased a simple rose arrangement (dozen rose bouquets were more for Valentine’s Day and anniversaries), a card, a birthday balloon, and some gift-wrapping supplies.

When he got back home, Sehun spread out everything on the counter, then got his tablet to pull up the recipe. To get into the mood, he donned an apron and the simple act made him feel more official. Having cooked this recipe just a few days prior, Sehun felt comfortable at each step, and he thought back on Jongin’s mom’s encouraging words to bolster him: _Take your time. Use medium heat. Even if you mess up a step, it’s not the end of the world._

About an hour and a half later, Sehun was surprised by how quickly he finished, and with relatively no problems (like burning the garlic, which was what happened the first time). Eager to taste the final product, Sehun tasted a forkful of the chicken, but then his face paled. It wasn’t _anything_ like what he managed to cook at Jongin’s mom’s house.

Remembering to at least shut the stove off first so the food wouldn’t burn on top of everything else that went wrong, Sehun slid to the floor, and he felt a few hot, frustrated tears roll down his face. He hurried to wipe them away on his sleeve, feeling more annoyed at himself for crying. Even though he liked to act like it, he wasn’t a baby anymore - he was almost thirty himself - and it felt stupid getting emotional over something most people wouldn’t immediately cry about.

After a few moments he stopped sniffling, and with his tears mostly dried, he got back up to stand with a heaving sigh. He wondered what he could do now - if there was any way to save what he had made, or if he’d have to start all over again from scratch. The clock showed he barely had two hours left before Jongin would be home, and he still had other things to prepare. 

Then Sehun remembered that Mrs. Kim told him to call him today if he had any trouble, and that she would do her best to help. Before he could change his mind, he sent her a video call request, and he was surprised when she picked up on the third ring.

“Hi, Mrs. Kim.” Her smiling, peaceful face already made Sehun feel more calm. However after a moment her expression grew concerned.

“Sehun, is everything alright?” 

Surprised she was able to tell something was off with him so quickly, he shook his head, not wanting to worry her too much. “Actually- no. It’s not. I messed up,” he ended up admitting anyway. He went on to explain what went wrong - the meat was too tough, and it tasted too salty, nothing like the dish they made together the other day.

He showed her a close-up of his end-product, then reiterated all the steps he followed as per the recipe. When she assured him they could fix it, Sehun let out a sigh of relief, choosing to believe in her expertise. At her direction, he worked on making more sauce to balance the saltiness, then covered the pan with a lid and continued to simmer the chicken on low fire for thirty more minutes.

When Sehun tasted the chicken again, it was perfect.

After he thanked Mrs. Kim for her guidance and endless patience, she assured him that Jongin would enjoy the meal, and told him to remember that above all, Jongin would cherish the fact that Sehun took his time to cook a special meal for him on his birthday. Feeling energized by her words after their video call ended, Sehun hurried to finish his final preparations, which included setting the table, and a little cleaning and artful decorating around the house.

By the time Jongin called to say he was heading home early like they had planned, Sehun was mostly finished. Just hearing Jongin’s voice settled the last of his nerves. He was excited, of course, but now it felt like a comforting thrum of energy, rather than the nerve-wracking sort of worrying he was feeling earlier.

He lounged on the sofa and idly watched an episode of The Circle as he waited for Jongin to get home. When he heard the click of the key turning in the lock, he jumped up and hurried to the door, yelling, “Happy birthday!” and gave him a peck on the lips. "And welcome home."

“Thank you,” Jongin said, amused by Sehun’s excitement, and he held Sehun’s cheeks as he gave him another kiss on the mouth in return. “It smells good in here,” he commented, curiously sniffing towards the kitchen.

Sehun nodded, not wanting to give the surprise away just yet. “Are you hungry? We can eat now, if you want.”

“I’m starving. I skipped lunch since I knew I’d be heading home earlier, and I wanted to save my appetite so I could eat with you.”

“Aw,” Sehun replied. “Don’t skip your meals, though, you know I get worried when you do that.”

“I know, I know. I did eat something - one of those protein bars you bought for me that I have stocked in the office for emergencies.”

Pleased at this information, he helped Jongin hang his coat on the rack, then ushered him into the dining room. “Wait, you did all this for me?” Jongin asked, impressed at the set-up. He was eyeing the rose arrangement Sehun used as a centerpiece. “And you cleaned up.”

“It’s your thirtieth birthday, of course I had to go all out,” Sehun explained. “Okay, now close your eyes while I bring you your presents.”

“‘Kay.” Jongin took a seat and made a show of covering his eyes with his hands, practically buzzing with excitement.

Sehun walked over with the dakdoritang that he had been keeping warm in the oven, then put it on the center of the table, still covered with a lid. “Don’t open your eyes yet!” He put Jongin’s present next to his plate, then hurried back to light three candles on the cake. “Okay you can open your eyes now.” Slowly he walked over to Jongin and started singing the happy birthday song while he carefully held the cake in his hands.

Jongin beamed when he laid eyes on the cake. He waited for Sehun to finish singing to him to clap excitedly. “Is that my favorite chocolate cake? From my favorite bakery?”

“Mhm.” 

“Did I mention you’re my favorite?”

“No, tell me, please.”

“Well, you’re my favorite.” Jongin stayed quiet as he made a wish, then blew out the candles in one go. “Is this my gift?” Jongin asked, poking at the rectangular-shaped box covered in bear-adorned gift wrap. “Let’s eat dinner first, I don’t want to spoil my appetite or let the food go cold,” Jongin decided. “What did you order?”

Sehun grinned. “I didn’t order this time.”

“Oh?” Jongin looked intrigued.

“This year I wanted to gift you something a little different… I cooked a meal for you,” Sehun said, shyly. He removed the lid and used a serving spoon to put some on a small plate next to a bowl of white rice for Jongin.

“Woah,” Jongin exclaimed, eyes widening like saucers. “Is this - my favorite dish? Dakdoritang? Sehun, this looks amazing.”

“You should try it first before you say anything,” Sehun suggests softly, still a little doubtful that it’s up to par. After all, it’s comfort food Jongin grew up eating and loving over the years, so naturally he developed a taste for his mom’s cooking over anyone else’s.

Alright, maybe Sehun was too ambitious trying to cook this meal. He really should have just ordered takeout from one of Jongin’s favorite restaurants. Gosh, what was he thinking?! He should’ve listened to Junmyeon, who was trying to warn him about what an epic disaster this would be.

Sehun held his breath as Jongin eagerly took his first bite. Unable to bear looking at his face (lest he saw any expressions of Jongin’s disgust), Sehun stared resolutely at the ground, suddenly finding his slippers very interesting.

It was silent, save for Jongin’s chewing which seemed to go on for ages, and Sehun was forced to let out the breath of air he had been holding in. But his patience was wearing thin and curiosity was getting the best of him, and before he knew it, his eyes darted up to sneak a glance at Jongin as he ate.

Sehun immediately regretted it, because there were actual _tears_ in Jongin’s eyes. He had completely stopped eating to rest his spoon on his plate, and he was just staring at the food, visibly a few seconds away from crying. Sehun felt gutted. The worst part was he knew Jongin would be too nice about it, and he would probably compliment Sehun no matter what he really thought.

But Jongin hated it. Sehun hated himself more for putting Jongin in such an awkward situation, where he had to basically play guinea pig to Sehun’s cooking mishaps on his _birthday_ , of all days. Sehun’s mouth suddenly went dry, and it was hard to gulp with this uncomfortable, aching feeling in his throat. His face was red hot from embarrassment, the utter mortification he felt right now. How much he had fucked up, even though he had tried so hard to make Jongin happy. Of course he couldn’t even do that right.

And now Jongin was definitely crying. Sehun could see the shininess of the tears on his cheeks, hear the unmistakable sounds of sniffling and hiccuping.

“Is- is it that bad?” Sehun tried to joke, but it came out sounding pathetic. Even he could hear it in his voice. He didn’t want to fish for compliments, but it sounded like exactly that.

Jongin shook his head fervently and lifted a hand to wipe at his eyes and nose. But it was too late - Sehun already saw everything. It wasn’t like he could hide it at this point.

“No- Sehun, I-”

“If it sucks, just tell me,” Sehun said coldly. “I don’t want you to lie just to make me feel better."

Jongin stopped crying and his eyebrows furrowed, expression turning serious. Scooting over, he grabbed Sehun’s hands from where they were resting on his lap, as he sat in the chair adjacent to his.

“Sehun, listen to me,” Jongin said, his low tone firm and commanding, and he waited until Sehun focused on him, met his gaze. “I was surprised because it reminds me so much like how my mom would make it, but it tastes even better, because _you_ cooked it for me.” He searched Sehun’s eyes. “You know I would never lie to you. Especially not about something I know you put your heart into. You deserve that.”

Sehun nodded, though he felt like it was his turn to cry, but he tried his hardest not to. He didn’t want Jongin’s birthday to turn into a cryfest more than it already had. Birthdays were for happy memories, and Jongin should be smiling.

“I’m sorry. I guess I just panicked because I saw you crying, and you hadn’t said anything yet,” Sehun said softly. “You know I’m not confident about my cooking skills. But I practiced and did my best to cook this right for you. I wanted it to be perfect.”

Jongin's cheek dimples accentuated his bright smile as he pulled Sehun to sit on his lap. From this angle, he had to look up at Sehun a little. “It’s perfect. You did so well,” Jongin assured him, and he lifted Sehun’s hands to kiss at his knuckles. Sehun blushed at the gesture, and his honest praise had Sehun finally relaxing against Jongin’s body in relief. “Okay, now let me finish the rest of the delicious meal that the love of my life cooked for me on my birthday. I want seconds, and thirds, and fourths.”

Sehun smiled and got up to scoop out more rice for him. “You better save some room for cake!”

“I’ll always have room for cake.”

“Hey, that’s my line,” Sehun huffed.

They spent the next hour leisurely eating their meal together, and every so often they’d meet each other’s gazes from across the table and smile with their eyes, since they were too busy chewing.

The food really _was_ good, now that Sehun allowed himself to be proud of his accomplishment. It wasn't like he was expecting to transform into a master chef overnight, he knew cooking was all about practice, and tons of it. From now on, Sehun promised himself that he would stop doubting his capabilities, and instead just focus on trying new things for the sake of it. Mistakes were bound to be made, and he would surely burn something again in the future, or use too much salt, or maybe the food wouldn’t have any flavor at all. There were countless opportunities to learn from his mistakes, to improve his ability each time. The important part was that he was willing to try again.

The fact that Sehun had a loving partner like Jongin who was endlessly supportive of him, no matter what new endeavors he wanted to dive into? Well, that was the icing on the cake.

♡  
  


After stuffing themselves with chocolate cake, they cleared the table and did the dishes together. It might be simple, but Sehun loved these quiet moments with Jongin. They served as constant, little reminders of how much he loved him, how sure he was that he wanted to spend the rest of his life by Jongin’s side.

“I have one last present for you,” Sehun said, having dried and put the last of their dishes away.

“Oh?” Jongin asked, intrigued. He wiped his hands on a dish towel. “You’re spoiling me.”

Sehun grinned. “Can you guess what it is?”

“Hm. Well, you already got me a new pair of sunglasses, and cooked me the best meal I’ve ever had in my life. Sehuning, I know how much thought you put into making this day special for me...it means so much to me. Thank you.” Sehun preened at his words, melting into Jongin’s embrace as he pulled him closer by his hips. “Wonder what else you could surprise me with,” Jongin mused, tone low and seductive as he licked the shell of Sehun’s ear. 

“Mnngghh.” What was he talking about again? Sehun found himself rapidly losing his concentration here, his dick more than interested in forgoing conversation entirely in favor of the current proceedings.

“What was that?” Jongin chuckled.

It took considerable effort for Sehun to pull away a little, at least enough to get his bearings straight (well, not exactly _straight_ , heh) and look at Jongin in the eye. “I’m your present. You’ll have to unwrap me.”

Jongin raised an eyebrow at that, but before he could say anything, Sehun guided his hand to the hem of his jeans, urging him to dip his fingers lower to feel the silk panties he had put on. When the realization dawned on Jongin’s face, Sehun mentally patted himself on the back for knowing exactly what Jongin wanted. Well, it wasn’t like he had to read Jongin’s mind. It was no secret that Jongin was an ass man - he was always subconsciously touching Sehun’s butt even when passing him by in the kitchen or laundry room, and the man loved rimming him like there was no tomorrow, both of which had Sehun's stamp of approval.

As for the topic of panties, it had come up a few weeks ago, when Jongin had made an offhand comment about one of the male characters in this show they were watching who enjoyed wearing panties for the feel of it. Jongin had joked that Sehun should try it, and Sehun had filed away that information in his memory bank for precisely this occasion.

Believe it or not, sex with Jongin was pretty vanilla so far in their relationship. Having thoroughly explored his sexuality before getting together with Jongin, Sehun knew what he was into, and he was certainly kinky by Jongin’s standards. But he didn’t want to pressure Jongin into anything before he was ready. Even if they frequently made love in missionary, the sex was amazing; Sehun had absolutely no complaints. There was this easy, but explosive chemistry between them. After all, Jongin was the one who had taught Sehun that sex could be an emotional experience, something he had never really gotten in any of his partners in the past. Of course, that was only because he was pining back then, only fucking other men because he was convinced Jongin was out of the realm of possibility. That he could never have him, at least not romantically. It was painful having to push his feelings aside as his best friend, but he endured it because it would hurt more not being Jongin’s anything.

Now that they were in a happy, stable relationship, Sehun wanted to cherish what they had, didn’t want to rush things. He and Jongin had the rest of their lives to try different positions in bed, new dynamics and other novelties to discover what the other might like, and not like. That journey was part of the fun.

“You put on panties for me?” Jongin asked, his voice breathy.

“Mhm. Do you like it?” Sehun blinked at him slowly, trying for coy and sultry, and it worked because there was that heated look in Jongin’s eyes that Sehun was so addicted to. 

“Do I _like_ it?” He grabbed Sehun’s ass with both palms to grind their hips together, and yep, based on that unmistakable hardness Sehun was feeling through their pants, Jongin was, without a doubt, really into him wearing panties. Whining, Sehun lost himself for a few minutes as they rutted against each other, his back pressing into the edge of the kitchen counter. “What do you think?”

“Gffuhhh. Okay, you’re really into it. Wait-” Sehun managed to squeak out before they both creamed in their pants like teenagers. Jongin stopped to take a breather, looking hazy with lust himself, but his eyes started to clear as he focused on what Sehun was trying to tell him. “It’s your birthday, let me suck you off first.”

“Well, if you insist,” Jongin replied, looking smug as he switched places with Sehun to lean against the kitchen counter.

Sehun dutifully sunk to his knees, not caring that it was uncomfortable as fuck kneeling on the kitchen tile. In fact, that discomfort added to the thrill, as they usually had sex in the comfort of their bedroom, or the shower for convenience. Did he mention they were vanilla?

Sucking cock, specifically Jongin’s, was Sehun’s favorite activity, if he was being honest. He loved riding dick, too, of course, but there was just something about having Jongin’s warm length in his mouth, the feel of the veins and how it pulsed on his tongue. And Jongin was uncut, which Sehun was _incredibly_ into. Sehun was circumcised, so he always had this fascination with uncut dick. He loved to play with foreskin, loved how it pulled back to reveal the head of Jongin’s cock when he got fully hard. Sehun licked at it now, dug a little harder at the slit with his tongue, just as he knew Jongin liked it. The sound of Jongin groaning above him and the way he pulled at Sehun’s hair for some semblance of control was such a turn-on. 

This was just as much a present to him was it was for Jongin, Sehun thought. Maybe Jongin knew that. Sehun’s own erection strained against his panties and the confines of his jeans, and he could feel how his precum already drenched through the silk fabric.

He gave Jongin the sloppiest head he’d ever given him to date, saliva coating his pubes and making his cock so wet that the slide in and out of Sehun’s throat was easy. When he was sure Jongin was about to come, Sehun pulled off with a pop, right hand gripping the base of Jongin’s cock.

“ _Fuck_ ,” Jongin groaned out, heaving for breath. He pulled Sehun up and stuck his tongue down his throat, then bent him over the kitchen counter before Sehun could even _breathe_. The manhandling? Fuck yeah, Sehun was definitely into that. He slowed down to peel Sehun’s jeans down just enough that his panty-clad ass was on full display, evidently not patient enough to have Sehun fully undress first. He gripped Sehun’s right ass cheek, massaging it in his palm, and Sehun let him indulge as much as he wanted. 

Looking back over his shoulder, Sehun reveled in the way Jongin eyes were half-lidded, completely focused on worshipping his ass in panties. After what seemed like ages of Jongin playing with ass, feeling the silk fabric, he finally pulled the panties down past the curve of his butt, trapping his balls and his cock. Sehun groaned in surprise when Jongin spanked him a little, gentle and just enough to make his ass slightly jiggle.

“Is that okay?” Jongin asked, voice soft and in awe.

“Y-yeah. You can do it harder.” At this rate, Sehun was going to come before Jongin could get his dick in him. He regrets not rubbing one out to take the edge off before Jongin came home in preparation.

And Jongin did spank him harder, this time on his left cheek, watching what was surely his handprint contrasted against the paleness of Sehun’s skin. Sehun thought he would at least get another one - he was hoping for it - but Jongin moved on to other, grander plans: rubbing his dick between Sehun’s thighs, bumping against the backs of his balls from where they were held in place by the panties. The friction was so, so good.

He stopped to pull Sehun’s cheeks apart with both hands, exposing his hole, and Sehun felt some of the lube he had used earlier drip down his perineum.

“Oh, fuck, Sehun. You prepared yourself?” Jongin asked, dipping his thumb into Sehun’s taint.

So no, Sehun hadn’t rubbed one out, though he remembered being tempted to, until he decided he wanted to save it for when Jongin was balls deep in him. But Sehun _did_ prepare by cleaning himself out in the bathroom, then fingering himself generously with lube, knowing he was going to get fucked tonight.

Sehun nodded in response, and shifted his feet back to try and get more of Jongin’s thumb inside.

“How many fingers?”

“Only two,” Sehun replied in the most innocent tone he could muster.

Jongin pulled away, body heat leaving with him, and Sehun stayed in position over the counter, though he watched curiously over his shoulder as Jongin got something from under the sink. He did _not_ expect him to return with a bottle of what looked a hell of a lot like lube. “What the, is that lube? Why was that even in there?”

Jongin shrugged. “For when the opportunity arose,” he answered, uncapping the bottle and running a hand under Sehun’s shirt, from the back of his neck, down his spine, stopping to press into his back dimples, just above his ass. Okay, so maybe Jongin was kinkier than Sehun might have originally assumed. They definitely had to have a lengthy discussion about this later.

Conversation ended when Jongin pushed two fingers right into him, and when he was met with no resistance, he easily added in a third. Fuck, that felt good. Jongin was scissoring his fingers now, knuckles continuously brushing against his prostate. Sehun wanted to melt into a puddle, and he leaned heavily onto the counter to hold more of his weight. It felt like his legs would give way any second now, he didn’t trust them. Jongin needed to get inside him before he _died_.

Sehun must have said something to that effect out loud, because Jongin was laughing a little, and it only made Sehun more peeved. This was no laughing matter, he really would die. He twerked his ass, trying to be more seductive, and Jongin thankfully got the picture, capping the lube and dropping it to the floor. Sehun felt the blunt head of Jongin’s cock rubbing against his hole, and he keened, absolutely aching for it. The tip popped in past the sphincter, and they both moaned in unison at finally being connected.

Breathing in and out slowly, Sehun did his best to relax as Jongin pushed forward, his body accommodating to take him in inch by inch. By the time Jongin was all the way in, balls pressed snuggly against Sehun’s perineum, Sehun was drooling on the kitchen counter, reveling in how Jongin’s thick dick stretched him out in all the right places. Sehun flexed his feet, then got on his tiptoes, obsessed with the feeling of being pinned against the counter by Jongin’s cock alone. 

Holding him up by the hips, Jongin slowly pulled out so just the tip of his cock was in, then pushed back in just as slowly. It was agonizing and Sehun was about to go out of his goddamn mind. He was about to say so, but Jongin must’ve sensed that Sehun was ready. He increased the pace and force of it, pounding hard enough into his ass that Sehun had to scramble and hold onto the counter for purchase.

The rest was a blur, with Sehun’s mind floating around in his headspace, loving the feeling of being stuffed with cock, but he focused when Jongin reached around to free his erection from the panties, then stroked him in time with his thrusts. Sehun came not long after with a loud shout, and he dropped bonelessly onto the counter as Jongin continued to fuck him, chasing his own release until he emptied his load into Sehun.

Sehun moaned at the satisfying feel of Jongin’s hot come filling him. His legs were jelly, and he would be crumpled to the floor right now if not for Jongin’s weight keeping him up. Jongin collapsed on top of him, panting heavily and kissing between his shoulder blades from where Sehun’s shirt had bunched up at his armpits, idly licking at the sweat that accumulated there and at the nape of his neck.

“Happy birthday to me,” Jongin finally said after his breathing had slowed down. He hadn’t pulled out yet and his dick was softening inside Sehun; they both wanted to savor the feeling of being so intimately connected. Sehun wanted to laugh in response, but he was too fucked out to verbalize anything, or move, or even really think.

About twenty minutes later and still not yet fully recovered, Sehun continued to lay out on the kitchen counter like a cooked noodle as Jongin used a warm, wet washcloth to gently clean him up. Jongin was so perfect, Sehun really didn’t deserve him, and he tried to convey this thought by making content, incoherent mumbling noises that Jongin seemed to be amused by. With his face still pressed against the cold marble counter, he attempted to formulate actual words. What came out instead was more of a _Mmhappybirthdayfh, luvu._

“I love you more.” Jongin’s heartfelt smile warmed Sehun from the inside out. 

With Jongin’s help, Sehun hobbled over to their sofa where they were going to spend their second night this week. Sehun was physically unable to make it up the stairs into their bedroom, something he adamantly insisted to Jongin. The blanket they had used the other night was still folded up on the lovechair, so Jongin grabbed it and wrapped them both up as they got comfortable on the couch. 

Sehun was completely naked, as Jongin had helped strip him of his dirty clothes. His panties and jeans were a lost cause, but how did cum even end up on his shirt? They really lost their minds back there... Sehun wanted a replay in the morning. Distantly he wondered where his clothes were, hoping Jongin threw them in the hamper because it would be gross to accidentally step on dirty panties in the morning on his way to the bathroom. Jongin went commando, too, just kept his undershirt on. 

“That was so good,” Sehun said as he idly stroked Jongin’s sweaty hair.

“Better than the chocolate mousse?”

Of course Jongin would be hung up on that, Sehun scoffed. “Yes, baby, better than the chocolate mousse.” Jongin looked pleased with that answer.

“Can’t believe it took us that long to bless the kitchen,” Jongin casually stated.

Sehun’s mouth fell open. “You were thinking about that?”

“Since we moved in, yeah.” He wasn't embarrassed to admit it in the slightest.

Sehun hummed in response, contemplating this information. For some reason he had this idea in his head that he was hornier than Jongin, because he had been desperately pining over him for actual _years_ , and the reality that they could sex now whenever they wanted still seemed so surreal. But this was just another example of how Sehun was learning more about Jongin each passing day. Clearly their appetite for sex had a lot of overlap, if everything they did tonight was any indication. 

“So we still need to do the living room, and the laundry room, and… the supply closet,” Sehun pointed out. “But after my ass has recovered, please.” His lower back was aching, and his butt felt overly sensitized, though he meant that in the best way possible.

“We can switch, you can fuck me tomorrow if you’d like,” Jongin suggested, looking at Sehun to see what he thought about that.

Thinking of Jongin bouncing on his dick was really fucking sexy, and Sehun’s cock twitched in interest. Jongin must’ve felt it move against his thigh, because he laughed and said, “Can I take that as a yes?”

“Yes. Definitely yes.” Sehun stayed quiet for a while after that, long enough that Jongin thought he might have fallen asleep. “By the way, you should know that I’m going to get hard every time we wash the dishes together now.”

“Sehun, please. Go to sleep.” Jongin laughed and pressed a tired kiss on his cheek. Feeling needy for more, Sehun redirected him to his mouth, and they continued to share a few more soft, syrupy kisses until they both drifted off to sleep.

♡

The next evening they ate the rest of the leftovers for dinner, and it tasted even better since the chicken had more time to marinate in the fridge.

“Seriously, Sehun, you really outdid yourself. This is so good,” Jongin complimented between bites. “Or should I call you Chef Sehun from now on? Chefhun?”

Sehun rolled his eyes, but he gladly basked in all the praise. 

“Do you know why this is my favorite food?” Jongin asked.

“I don’t know, because your mom is really good at cooking it?” Sehun shrugged. “I know it’s your comfort food.”

“I mean yeah, that’s true, but my mom cooks a lot of dishes really well. There’s a specific reason why I love this one so much.”

Sehun leaned forward on his elbows, suddenly very curious.

“So you know how in high school you’d always come over my house four or five days a week, and a lot of the time you’d end up staying for dinner, too? I think this was happening for at least a year already after we got really close, so I guess we were around fifteen, sixteen.”

Sehun nodded. Having just visited Jongin's parent's house, the visceral memory of their teenage years was still fresh in his mind.

“And do you remember when Soojung dumped me, and I was feeling pretty down all that week?”

How could Sehun forget? Though Jongin only dated her during freshman and a bit of sophomore year, she was his first girlfriend, and Sehun knew he really cared for her. They shared a lot of firsts, and Sehun was always there to listen as a dutiful friend whenever Jongin wanted to talk about her and get advice from him. When they broke up, for a while Jongin seemed different, a little distant and more serious, like the experience made him grow up more. But that phase didn’t last long, and soon Jongin was back to being himself, and Sehun was glad to know their friendship would always be this constant thing they could fall back on.

When Sehun nodded, Jongin continued again. "I never told you the real reason why we broke up. Do you know what she told me?" Jongin kind of laughed to himself, and Sehun shook his head, though he had his own ideas about this, years ago. “She said I spent too much time with you, that maybe I had to rethink who I really wanted to be with,” Jongin said quietly. 

“The worst part was we didn’t argue when we broke up. No yelling, no dramatic crying, or fighting to convince each other we could work it out. It was just this - weirdly calm conversation. I remember she kissed me on my cheek before she left, like she was just sorry for me, you know? For hours I kept sitting there thinking about what she’d said, and still not really getting it.

“So that’s why I was being mopey all that week. And you were there for me the whole time, of course you were. But it finally clicked into place this one night a few days after the breakup when you came over for dinner, and mom was making dakdoritang. She let us eat in the living room, sitting on the floor with our backs against the sofa while we watched the Transformers movie on TV."

“Oh my God, I remember that,” Sehun blurted out.

Jongin grinned. “I don’t know what it was, it’s not like you did anything different. But I'll always remember this clear moment of looking over at you laughing about something with food in your mouth and flailing your arms around, and just thinking, _I’m in love with you. I get it now_.”

After a confession like _that_ , it was only natural for Sehun to get all choked up. He got up and hugged Jongin around his neck, which was kind of a disaster because Jongin’s fork clattered to the floor after the table shifted when he bumped into it. Sehun’s beer bottle almost fell and spilled over the floor, too, but Jongin quickly caught and steadied it.

“Aw, I didn’t mean to make you cry,” Jongin apologized as he hugged him back.

“S'not your fault,” Sehun muffled into the crook of his neck, tears wetting Jongin’s work shirt, and Jongin made him look up so he could kiss him.

“So yeah, that’s when I realized I loved you. I’ve always associated dakdoritang with that memory,” Jongin said, looking down as he smiled softly to himself. "And I got that feeling all over again when I tasted that first bite of dakdoritang you learned to cook for me."

The way Jongin had reacted so emotionally the day before made even more sense now. “I love you so much," Sehun managed to say between sniffles.

Cooking this birthday meal for Jongin had to be in his top five best ideas ever, despite the initial fiasco of fearing he wouldn’t be able to do it right. Now he was already looking forward to planning the next upcoming holiday, Valentine’s Day. The whole experience was an overall success, making him confident he could learn to cook other dishes, and enjoy many more meals together like this. And by challenging himself, he inadvertently discovered new aspects of their relationship, even with all the years they've known and loved one another.

But was it ever possible for Jongin to know the extent of Sehun's love, when words were never enough to express how deeply Sehun felt? That was why he went all out on his birthdays and every other special occasion, in an attempt to try and show Jongin just how much. And why, even on the most regular, uneventful of days, Sehun was determined to shower his best friend, his partner, his _soulmate_ with all the love he deserved, steadfastly pouring it into every action he could - his new hobby of cooking included.


End file.
